Package



NOV. 6, 1934. w A s m 1,979,714

PACKAGE Filed April 12, 1933 Patented Nov. 6, 1934 STATS parser 7Claims.

My invention relates to packages in which material, such as cigarettes,for example, is sealed or protected from the atmosphere under shippingand storing conditions and the principal object of my invention is toprovide means for opening the sealing element to permit removal of aportion of said material and for closing the sealing element and holdingit closed, after such removal, such closing not only preventing theaccess of air and moisture to the material but, in the case ofcigarettes, preventing crumpling of the tops of the cigarettes, whichcrumpling has heretofore occurred in the use of cigarette packages whenthe user attempts to press down the 1 top of the sealing member afterremoval of a cigarette.

A feature of my invention is'the use of a member permanently connectedto the sealing element and detachably connected to the outside of thepackage, preferably at the side thereof, to hold the sealing element insealing position.

Another feature is a clip attached to the inside of the package butextending to the outside to cooperate with the member which is connectedto the sealing element.

Other features will be pointed out below. In the drawing Figure 1 is anelevation of a package embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is an elevation like Figure 1 without the revenue stamp;

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is an elevationof the front wall of the outer containing member; Figure 5 is anelevation of the inner sealing container;

Figure 6 is an elevation of a modified form similar to that of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an elevation of the upper portion of the package as shown inFigure 2 with the top open for removal of the contents; and

Figure 8 is a modification described below. I illustrate my invention asembodied in a package of cigarettes, although the package may containcigars or other materialwhich is to be kept inaccessible to air ormoisture or both.

Outer package member 1 is similar in a general way to the ordinary outermember of a cigarette package but I provide a slit 2 therein, this slitbeing horizontal, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4. Fixed to the inside ofthe outer member, as by glue, is a member 3 of cardboard or othersuitable material having a clip portion 4 projecting through slit 2 tothe exterior of said outer member.

The inner member 5 is made of Cellophane or tin foil or other suitablesealing or air-excluding material and normally completely surrounds thematerial such as cigarettes 6, said member being wrapped around, andfolded over the top of, the cigarettes in the usual way and beingprovided with a portion 7 which normally seals the top of the package,the latter being of substantial width across its top. The portion 7 hasan integral extension '7 extending to a sub- 55 the clip 4 at the insideof the latter when the package is closed. 1

In Figure 6 the outer member has a three-sided slit indicated at 10 andin this case the material of the outer member 1 so slit-out will coverthe clip (not shown in this figure) so that the latter will not bevisible.

In Figure '7 I show the upper portion of the package shown in Figure 2with the top open for removal of a cigarette.

The package, when shipped or before sale, will be as it appears inFigure 1, the revenue stamp 11 being pasted over the top and down at theside of the package. To open the package the string 9 is detached fromthe clip and is lifted up to the position indicated in Figure 7, thislifting breaking away the revenue stamp as well as lifting the portion7a so as to give access to the inside of the package. After a cigarettehas been removed the Cellophane is refolded over the cigarettes and thestring is pulled down so as to bring the portion '7 into sealingposition with the portion 7a at the outside of the outer member. Thestring is then placed in frictional engagement with the inside of theclip to hold the package eiiiciently sealed until other removal of thecigarette or other material is desired. It will be observed that theportion '7 may be held in varying sealing posi-, tions, if such varianceis desired, because the string may be pulled down more or less, asdesired, and still frictionally engage the clip.

Among the advantages of my invention I may point out that it is verysimple, very cheap to manufacture and very efficient in keeping thepackage practically hermetically sealed;

It will be understood that, ifdesired, the string needs not engagebeneath the clip before the package is first opened but it may lie looseoutside the package available for the first opening. After removal ofmaterial however the string will be engaged with the clip to hold thepackage sealed.

Of course any suitable flexible member instead of a string may be usedand it may be connected to the sealing member by other'means than thefolded-over portions 8 and 8 In Figure 8 I show a difierent shape of therelatively stiif member 12 and in this form the lower portion issubstantially pointed at 12 and this construction is especiallyeffective in releasing the revenue stamp from its sealing position.

In Figure 8the stiif member is fiatand is attached, as by glue, to themember 5 and the string 9 may be glued to the inside of the pointedportion 12.

What I claim is: I

l. A package comprising an outer member; an inner member made of sealingmaterial and having a portion movable to permit removal of some of thematerial from the package; and means permanently connected to saidmovable portion and detachably connected to said outer member to holdsaid portion in sealing position after such removal.

2. A package comprising an outer member with a slit; an element fixed tothe inside of the outer member and having a projection extending throughsaid slit to the exterior of said member; an inner member made ofsealing material and having a portion movable to permit removal of someof the material from the package; and means permanently connected withsaid portion and detachably connected with said projection to hold saidportion in sealing position after such removal.

3. A package comprising an outer member with a slit; an element fixed tothe inside of said outer member and having a projection extendingthrough said slitto the exterior of saidinember; an inner member made ofsealing material and having a portion movable to permit removal of someof the material from the package; a relatively stiff element permanentlyattached to said portion and folded over said portion at the inside andoutside thereof and having a perforation; and a string attached withinsaid fold and extending through said perforation for connection withsaid projection to hold said portion in sealing position after suchremoval.

4. A package comprising an outer member; an inner member made of sealingmaterial and having a portion movable to permit removal of some of thematerial from the package, one of said members being provided with aprojection; and an element, outside of the outer member and attached tothe other of said members, to engage said projection to hold saidportion in sealing position when desired and to be disengaged from saidprojection to permit such removal.

5. A package of substantial thickness when in use comprising an outermember having a projection at its outside; an inner member made ofsealing material and having a portion extending across the top of thepackage and also, to a substantial extent, down the side of the outermemher, said portion being movable to permit removal of some of thematerial from the package; and an element, outside of the outer memberand attached to said movable portion, to engage said projection to holdsaid portion in sealing position when desired and to be disengaged fromsaid projection to permit such removal.

6. A package comprising an outer member; an inner member made of sealingmaterial and having a portion movable to permit removal of some of thematerial from the package; a relatively stiff element permanentlyattached to said movable portion and being substantially pointed at thatpart of the stiif element which is lowest with relation to the top ofthe package when said porion is in sealing position, said pointed part,when said portion is in sealing position, lying alongside, and. outsideof, said outer member; a stamp extending over the inner member and beingattached to the outside of the outer member and extending over saidrelatively stiif element; and means connected with said pointed part tomove said stiff element to release the stamp.

7. A package comprising an outer member; an inner member made of sealingmaterial and having a portion movable to permit removal of some of thematerial from the package; a relatively stiff element permanentlyattached to said portion; a stamp extending over the inner member andbeing attached to the outside of the outer member and extending oversaid relatively stiff element; and means to move said stiff element torelease said stamp.

WILLIAM A. SPALDING.

